In this two-part series, we’ll review the difference between paid, owned and earned media, and moreover, how utilizing earned media can be a valuable asset to a brand. Executing these “pull” marketing techniques can increase website visitation and search engine rankings through consumer engagement across social networks, content and search marketing.

Part One: Paid, Owned and Earned Media

Paid Media are all of the outlets that one would associate with traditional marketing communications, including print, TV, radio, outdoor, etc. These are not “dead” despite the prognosticators of the internet era. These all have viability depending on the marketing campaign goals. In fact, there are several ways an advertiser can create engagement through these media:

• Interactive TV creates effective lead-generation by allowing viewers to request more information from a destination right from the commercial, or view an extended video on a resort’s assets.
• QR codes in print advertising. These codes can point readers with a Smartphone to additional content on the web, including a video or a signup page for lead generation.
• SMS (text) messaging offers can work through radio, outdoor, print and TV. They direct the viewer to text a unique keyword to receive offers such as last-minute lodging packages through their phone. Once they have opted-in, they also become part of your Owned Media for future messaging.

Owned media are all of the databases your destination marketing organization has built for customer relationship management (CRM). These may include postal lists, email lists, and SMS lists.

It’s been said many times that retaining a current customer is much easier (and less expensive) than gaining a new one. This still holds true, and by utilizing these databases in concert, a brand can build incremental business as needed.

• Postal lists are excellent for sending out travel brochures or “lure pieces.” Despite some opinions that direct mailings don’t always work effectively, a good mailing can see responses rates of up to 10% or more depending on the timeliness and value of the vacation offer. The offer is absolutely critical to getting results from the mailing. Some in the Direct Marketing industry have said 80% of your pieces success is the offer, and 20% is the list quality. Clearly, you need a call to action.
• Email lists are incredibly effective as long as they are relevant, timely and anticipated. By creating engaging content along with a call-to-action, email can be an effective revenue generator with limited effort. It also allows for easy cross-promotion of your social presence on Facebook, twitter and YouTube and online applications such as a gift certificate program.
• The text messaging database is excellent for creating exclusive and limited-time only vacation offers. Moreover, it can be used as a reminder medium for upcoming area events.

Earned Media is a culmination of three elements: content marketing, social networking and search optimization. By harnessing these simultaneously, a brand can increase website visitation and visibility.

• Content marketing involves creating engaging and unique information and disseminating it across the Web. Sending press releases that have been optimized for search engines with embedded keywords and links is a must. Moreover, writing articles and blog posts on your destination and syndicating them also encourage inbound linking, a huge influence on search engine rankings. The more links that you have to your website equals higher placement on search engine results pages. Finally, Blogger outreach is important to add insightful comments (with a link) and pitch your story ideas.
• Social networking is interaction with consumers across several channels including sites like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.  It also includes social sentiment monitoring to track social mentions and garner new opportunities for engagement. Video submission helps spread your content across many video-sharing sites to build awareness, as video viewing on the Web continues to grow exponentially.
• Search optimization in Earned Media begins with website benchmarking. This provides a starting point for tracking metrics including inbound links, search rankings, and goals or visitor conversion funnels. Moreover, keywords research must be performed to provide a road map to content creation. In addition, adding listings on select website directories will also provide the aforementioned increase in inbound links for better website search visibility.

For Part Two, we’ll dig much more deeply into Earned Media and specific strategies and tactics destination marketers can use to increase engagement, achieve higher search rankings and drive more qualified website traffic.

Even though most plan to travel, they still can’t disconnect from their cell phone and internet access.

Foursquare is a social media application that allows its users to “check in” at their current location with their smart phones and find out insider tips, as well as see where their friends are located. if they check in to certain places enough times, they can get rewards (free drink, etc). If they check in the most times, they become “The Mayor”, and receive even more privileges.

PA is launching a Foursquare program as part of their Summer 2010 tourism push, to try and lure younger travelers. They have placed tips on hundreds of locations along 21 road trip itineraries, and reward check ins with badges – another element of  Foursquare fun.   “The Fantastic Roadtrip-a-Matic” is also incorporating QR Codes on posters at many locations to encourage check ins.

Recently, BP handed out $50 Million to Gulf States affected by the Deepwater oil spill disaster. They had sued, claiming that even if many of their beaches remain clean, the traveling public would not be aware of that. Already, Tripadvisor searches for Gulf State destinations has plummeted. Unfortunately, I don’t think any amount of advertising will change people’s perceptions of what the Gulf Coast is now becoming.

Update: panama City is running a digital billboard campaign with daily updated images of its pristine coast line and beach.

Over in Arizona, the new immigration law passed has prompted many boycotts that have amounted to a loss of up to $10 million in tourism revenue. The sad part is that the call to boycott will result in hurting the people with hospitality jobs, who really had nothing to do with creating the immigration law in the first place. Even Arizona Iced Tea is facing backlash, and they’re brewed in New York!

key takeaways:

• Twitter is a “tools strategy” not a “social media strategy”
• You need to “be social” and not “do social”
• Build a social media playbook with key players in your company
• Figure out what is being said about you and where
• Creating content is the future (especially video), bypassing traditional media
• Location-based social media will be hot in next 18 months
• Yelp has added checkins to their app for authenticity
• Facebook metrics can be better than Google Analytics
• Facebook should be part of your sales funnel
• Email can have a social component

Jay Baer Interview from Michael A. Stelzner on Vimeo.